Pro-Putin MP acquires latest news organization
18 June 2019
Taras Kozak, an MP with the pro-Russian Opposition
Bloc, completed on June 14 the acquisition of the ZIK news organization, which
includes a national television network and news site, the Interfax-Ukraine news
agency reported. Kozak also controls the 112 Ukraine and NewsOne national
television networks, the report said. Kozak is a longtime political ally to
Viktor Medvedchuk, who is the political council head of the Opposition Platform
For Life, Ukraine’s leading pro-Russian party. Russian President Putin recently
identified Medvedchuk as among his leading advisers on Ukraine. Putin is
godfather to Medvedchuk’s daughter.
Many of the leading journalists, editors and producers
at ZIK announced they were quitting upon learning that Kozak acquired their
organization, the detector.media news site reported on June 14. Among them was
veteran journalist Serhiy Rahmanin, who is a parliamentary candidate with the
Voice party. Meanwhile, Kozak is creating a media holding company for his
assets, the news site said.
Zenon Zawada: It’s
disturbing to see pro-Russian interests acquiring control of key mass media
assets in Ukraine, while at the same time engaging in a campaign of military
aggression. Such control over mass media outlets hurts Ukraine’s ability to
resist Russian aggression in conditions of hybrid warfare, in which the level
of public consciousness is just as important as the state’s military strength.
Yet this is a consequence of the Poroshenko administration opting to declare a
military operation in Donbas, rather than a state of war.
We don’t expect the Zelensky administration to put
up resistance to this campaign by pro-Russian interests to expand their control
over Ukraine’s mass media. The Zelensky administration clearly has a
laissez-faire approach to business. Moreover, the administration is interested
in finding any avenues for peace with Russia, rather than intensifying
resistance. Instead, the hope of the Zelensky administration is that its
pragmatic, progressive reforms, improving living conditions, will be more
convincing to Ukrainians than Russian mass media propaganda.
